Bacon Explosion!!!

Sweet mother of Gandhi this is good stuff!! It is not mine, but it is too good not to post.



2 pounds thick cut bacon

2 pounds Italian sausage

1 jar of your favorite barbecue sauce

1 jar of your favorite barbecue rub


To kick off the construction of this pork medley you'll need to create a 5×5 bacon weave. If the strips you're using aren't as wide as the ones pictured, then you may need to use a few extra slices to fill out the pattern. Just make sure your weave is tight and that you end up with a nice square shape to work with.



The next step is to add some barbecue seasoning on top of your bacon weave. Being the barbecue addict that I am, I whipped up a batch of Burnt Finger BBQ's competition pork rub for this special occasion. Seeing as not everyone has the time, or the expertise, to create a tasty rub of their own, I would recommend trying Bad Byron's Butt Rub, Rendezvous Famous Seasoning, or Steven Raichlen's All-Purpose Rub.



Now that you're pork is well seasoned, it's time to add more pork. Take two pounds of Italian sausage and layer it directly on top of your bacon weave. Be sure to press the sausage to the outer edges of the bacon creating a patty that is the same thickness all the way across. Most grocery stores carry loose sausage, so just pick out one you like. I chose to go with a mild sausage, but spicy would work just the same. If you really want to get crazy, take a stab at making your own homemade sausage.



Next up is bacon layer number two. Take the remaining bacon slices and fry them up the same way you would for breakfast (or lunch, or dinner, or a midnight snack). If you like soft bacon, make it soft. If you like crunchy bacon, make it crunchy. If you like your bacon burnt to hell so the smoke detectors go off, then burn it to hell so the smoke detectors go off. These pieces are going to be a major part of the inner flavor of our sausage fatty, so cook them your favorite way. Personally, I like my bacon right at the point when it starts to get crispy, but hasn't quite lost all of the softness yet. Regardless of how well done you like yours, you'll need to crumble or chop the cooked strips into bite size pieces and place on top of the sausage layer. (Note-It's okay, and encouraged, to snack on these pieces while your chopping/crumbling. But keep in mind that once those bacon morsels touch the raw sausage, you'll need to resist all temptations to nibble. This can and will be difficult, but hospital trips are no fun, so stay strong.)



Since this is a barbecue recipe, we need to add another layer of barbecue flavor. Take your favorite sauce and drizzle it all over the top of the bacon pieces. Personally, I prefer to use Burnt Finger BBQ's homemade competition sauce, but if you're torn on what brand to use I recommend Cowtown, Blues Hog, and Fiorella's Jack Stack. Once you've sauced the bacon, sprinkle on some more of the barbecue seasoning you used on the bacon weave.




Now comes the fun part. Very carefully separate the front edge of the sausage layer from the bacon weave and begin rolling backwards. You want to include all layers EXCEPT the bacon weave in your roll. Try and keep the sausage as tight as possible and be sure to release any air pockets that may have formed. Once the sausage is fully rolled up, pinch together the seams and ends to seal all of the bacon goodness inside.



At this point we can start to see the final shape of our Bacon Explosion, but we're missing one key item. To complete the construction process, roll the sausage forward completely wrapping it in the bacon weave. Make sure it sits with the seam facing downward to help keep it all sealed up.




Sprinkle some barbecue seasoning on the outside of the bacon weave, and now this bad boy is ready for the smoker. Cook your Bacon Explosion at 225 degrees in a constant cloud of hickory smoke until your Thermapen gives an internal temperature reading of 165 degrees. Normally this will take about 1 hour for each inch of thickness, but that could vary depending on how well you maintain your fire and also how many times you open the smoker to take a peek. Mine took about 2.5 hours, which was right on target with its 2.5 inch diameter.





Now that our Bacon Explosion is fully cooked, we need to add some finishing flavors. Remember that barbecue sauce we used for inner flavor? We'll be using that same sauce to glaze the cooked bacon weave. Using a basting brush, coat the entire surface with a thin layer of sauce. Sweet sauces are loaded with sugars, so they'll give your fatty a nice glossy finish. Spicy and vinegar based sauces don't contain as much, so they won't set up as well. If you're dead set on using those sauces, just cut them with a bit of honey and you'll get the same effect.



Slice the Bacon Explosion into quarter to half inch rounds to serve. If your roll was good and tight, you should now see a nice bacon pinwheel pattern throughout the sausage. Obviously pork is best served by itself, but if you feel the need to make this meat monster into a sandwich, try placing a couple Bacon Explosion slices on a warm Pillsbury's Grands Biscuit. You'll reach pork Nirvana is no time flat!

Huge Aviation Bio-Fuel News!!

A company in New Zealand flew a 747-400 with one engine using a 50-50 blend of JetA and an oil that comes from the jatropha plant.
This is really really big news. Bio-fuels are very difficult to blend in to aviation because... well... In most cases the engines are very old and can not handle fuels that they were not designed for. Also, probably most important, most bio-fuels freeze at the altitudes that most jets have to fly at.
You see, the jet engine is not a very efficient engine at altitudes under 20,000 feet. They suck lots and lots of fuel going through the thick air. So they climb up to where the air is thin and very cold.
Apparently the jatropha plant oil has a lower freezing temperature than JetA, so no worries about freezing!

This is also big news to General Aviation. Why? Because more and more new airplanes are using turbo diesel engines. They don't use auto diesel fuel, that stuff gells up and is very heavy. Aviation diesels use JetA. If a bio-fuel can be found that replaces JetA, that means that General Aviation has a new fuel to focus on.

Story

Oh, and as you probably know... I don't give a crap about the carbon BS that the company is slinging. What I do care about is sustainability and reducing the amount of oil that comes from unfriendly sources. We can grow this jatropha plant here in the U.S. We can produce it here in the U.S. If the use of this 50-50 blend becomes common place, we have just reduced our reliance on unfriendly oil by that much. That is very cool.

Bi-Annual Flight Review

I took my flight review. I know. I know. I know. I have not flown in 6 months, and just stepping in to an airplane that I have not thought about in so long is a bad idea. BUT the instructor said that the maneuvers are basically that same for the check ride and the bi-annual, and that it was just a review, NOT a test, so we should just bang it out all at the same time. This was interesting, because he would get paid twice if we did the bi-annual and the check ride separately. November and December have been very bad months for flying out of MLE, so he has not gotten paid a whole lot... So, being the economic conscious guy I am, I chose to do everything all at the same time.

A Bi-Annual Flight Review consists of some ground school where you go over the regs, and the charts. Some instructors have you plan a cross country too, if you haven't logged a cross country flight (over 100 nm) in the last two years. I have had several cross country flights, so I did not have to do that. I found that my knowledge of the regs is... not very good. The review was good. I did better when it came to the charts.

Then came the flight section of the review. I preflighted the Archer and we departed the pattern. The first new thing that I learned in the air was the regs state that you are not to turn cross wind (If you need a refresher on what the landing pattern is check out this post)until you reach 300 feet AGL (Above Ground Level). This is really good to know. I have been trying to "feel" where I should turn by distance alone. It was difficult to do because I would spend a lot of time looking behind and below me to see where I was on the ground. Turning after reaching a certain altitude is infinitely better because it keeps your eyes looking out for traffic, and on your instruments, where they belong! Nice to know.

We turned down wind, reached pattern altitude, and exited the pattern to the west. West of MLE is open ground, east is the Omaha Metro, so west is always best when practicing maneuvers.
The air was calm and clear. Very little wind to speak of, and because it was cold, the air was stable and heavy. The very best conditions for flying. This may sound strange, but these conditions are great for when you are flying somebody around, but I wanted it a bit choppy with a good steady cross wind. If I have an instructor with me I want challenging conditions so that I can get some good practice with a guy trained to walk me through how to fly in them.
Anyway, the air was great and we began doing the maneuvers that you are required to do in a bi-annual. We climbed to a good altitude and trimmed for straight and level flight. As I began leaning out the mixture, the instructor asked me how I was doing my leaning. I replied that I lean the mixture out until I hear the engine run a bit rough, then ritchen just a bit to get the engine running well. He showed me that on that particular airplane, we could use a gauge to determine our mixture. Neat! I really do not like leaning out the mixture the way I do it, because I hate to hear that engine run rough... After we went a bit of distance, we richened the mixture back up and began our maneuvers. First was steep turns.
Steep turns are typically a 360 degree turn at 45 degrees bank. Your goal is to keep the airplane from loosing or gaining any altitude. A 45 degree turn is a hard fast turn, and as I completed the turn I felt the airplane bounce a bit. I immediately righted the airplane pushed the nose down and gave full power. The instructor asked me what I was doing.
I thought that I had put the airplane in to a stall. Just before the airplane stalls it shakes. That is called the "buffet." I felt the airplane shake, and I went through my stall recovery as I have been trained to do: add full power, right the wings, and push the nose down.
The instructor laughed a bit and said that the little bump that we felt was actually us catching up with our own wake turbulence as we completed the hard fast turn.
Anything that moves through a fluid, in this case air is a fluid, creates a disturbance in that fluid. Ever feel the wind after a truck goes past you the opposite direction on the road? Yup. That is the truck's wake turbulence. Ever look at the wake that a boat leaves in the water as it moves forward? That is the very same thing that happens to the air. In that same boat if you turn very hard you run over your own wake, and you get a bump. Same thing in the air.
The air was so calm and thick that the disturbance in the air that the airplane makes as it moves sank at a slower rate, and we caught up with it as we came around. Neat!
After that fun experience we went on to do the usual slow flight (slowing the aircraft down right to the point of stalling and holding it there with out loosing altitude), power off stalls (stalls in a simulated landing configuration i.e. full flaps and power pulled all the way off), power on stalls (stalls done in a simulated take off configuration i.e. nose high full power), and, of course, a simulated engine failure.
We then flew over to AHQ to do some landing practice. I had never been to AHQ before so it was fun to land at a new airport. AHQ has a slightly longer runway than MLE, 4100 feet rather than 3800 feet. Always nice to have more room.


View Larger Map
AHQ airport. I landed on runway 20.

Instead of doing the typical touch and goes, we did some things that I have not done since my primary flight training. As we entered the downwind leg, the instructor said set up for a landing with a 50 foot obstacle 50 feet from the end of the runway. Interesting!
Normally you do not have 50 foot obstacles on the edge of runways, unless you are out in the middle of Washington or something.
Anyway, what you have to do for that kind of landing is hold at 100 feet above the obstacle until you are clear then drop on to the the runway. You have to use your slow flight training and hold the airplane in the air at a constant altitude at the lowest possible speed so that you can land on the runway and stop in time. Lots of fun and I landed reasonably well.
I pull up the flaps and give full power for and take off. The next landing is to be a "short field" landing. This landing is fun, because you try to land in the shortest amount of distance possible. You put your landing spot right at the edge of the runway and come in a bit steep to make your landing spot. It is tricky because even though you are coming in steep, you need to watch your speed to keep you as slow as possible. As soon as you touch you keep good pressure on the yoke to keep the nose up and apply firm break pressure. This one I did very well, because I have been working on similar landings at MLE. For a guy who learned to fly on 5000+ foot runways, 3800 feet looks awfully short...
We did not do a touch and go here, because the instructor wanted to do a short field take off.
No problem. Ever since I had a little scare with my dad at 0B4 taking off on their short grass runway, I have been working on short field take offs.
You put yourself on the very edge of the runway, drop one or two notches of flaps depending on your airplane, pull the yoke all the way in to your chest,and then give full power with your breaks on. When your engine has reached max RPM, you release the brakes and hold that yoke back. In the Archer you will start to take off at about 45 knots. You have to be very careful as the stall speed of the airplane is somewhere between 45 and 50 knots, not quite the Vs0 speed, but lower than the Vs1 speed of the aircraft. Just after your wheels leave the ground you level you nose off. You then hold the airplane just off of the ground in ground effect for a few moments until you reach your Vx speed, in the Archer that is 65 knots. After you reach that speed you begin to pitch the nose of the airplane up to maintain that speed. You will then begin to climb. After a positive rate of climb has been established on your altimeter AND your vertical speed indicator you can take one notch of flaps back. When you reach 300 feet AGL, you can take back the other notch of flaps. If you only put on one notch, you take that back after you reach 300 feet AGL. Good times.
We then headed back to MLE. Things were starting to get busy around the airport as lots of pilots wanted to take advantage of the nice weather. I crossed mid-field and entered my downwind leg just as two airplanes took off. One right after the other. Fun to watch. As I entered my downwind leg, thinking that this would be an easy landing, the instructor told me to set up for soft field landing... Crap. I have not done one of those in... I don't remember doing one of those... I think that I had to do one in primary training, but I really don't remember... Crap.
So, I let the instructor know my lack of knowledge, and realizing that he did not have enough time to talk me through the procedures before we landed, we decided to to a "go around" to repeat our pattern and give us time to work out what needed to be done.
The soft field landing is an important procedure to know as it what you would use when landing on a wet or snow covered runway. Basically you approach just as you would any other landing, BUT in the flair just before touch down you give just a little bit of power to cushion your landing. Tricky, because if you give too much power you float, not enough and you land harder than you want. Besides that you try to keep your nose as high as possible with out stalling the airplane. You land on your mains and keep the nose off of the runway as long as possible. The nose eventually settles in on the runway and you DO NOT apply breaks until the last possible moment. You have let the airplane almost roll to a stop.
Fun Fun Fun.

So I have my three takeoffs and landings, as well as my VFR bi-annual taken care of. I am good to go for another two years!

UFC 92 Recap

Patrick Barry def Dan Evensen TKO (Low Kicks) 2:36 rnd 1
My Pick: Dan by KO first round
Bad start...

Brad Blackburn def Ryo Chonan Decision
My Pick: Brad by KO second round
That should drop Ryo from the UFC ranks. Too bad. I really wanted to see a Chonan, Anderson Silva rematch.


Matt Hamill def Reese Andy TKO (Punches) 2:19 rnd 2
My Pick: Matt by KO second round.
Matt puts me back in black with a perfect call!
Matt looked OK in this fight. His stand up has gotten much better, but he tends to drop his hands when punching. When he fights some one with a good counter punch, or an aggressive forward style, it will cost him. I think that a fight with Forrest Griffin or Wand Silva would be a good test for Matt next.


Antoni Hardonk def Mike Wessel TKO (Punches) 2:09 rnd 2
My Pick: Hardonk by ground and pound KO first round
+2 and I got a lot to do! Did that make sense? I got to update my ryming.


Yushin Okami def Dean Lister Decision
My Pick: Okami by decision
What did I tell you? Second perfect of this set!


Cheick Kongo def Mustapha al Turk TKO (Elbows and Punches) 4:37 rnd 1
My Pick: Kongo by KO first round
On a hot roll! Third perfect!
This fight had the longest first round EVER! Two low blows made for about a 10 minute first round. I thought I was back in PRIDE for a moment. al Turk just could not handle Kongo's power, nor could he get Kongo to the ground. Not surprising as the only thing Mustapha did for offence was to put Kongo on the cage and pull on his leg.


Quinton Jackson def Wanderlei Silva KO (Punch) 3:21 rnd 1
My Pick: Silva by KO second round
Rampage took advantage of Silva's aggressive style and managed to smash him with a big left hook. Very good boxing by Jackson. Silva really needs to learn how to keep his chin down when he is punching, but I doubt that even that would have saved him from going to sleep after that left hook...


CB Dollaway def Mike Massenzio TKO (Punches) 3:01 rnd 1
My Pick: CB by decision
CB was rocked early, but managed to recover and take out Mike.


Frank Mir def Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira TKO (Punches) 1:54 rnd 2
My Pick: Nog by KO third round
Frank Mir really looked sharp in this fight. He took advantage of Nog's tendency of blocking big right hands with his face. Frank put two down the pipe that put Nog on his butt, one in the first round, one in the second, then added a quick flurry on the ground to finish him in the second. Very good job by Frank Mir.


Rashad Evans def Forrest Griffin Submission (Punches) 2:46 rnd 3
My Pick: Evans by decision
Rashad took the championship away from Griffin. Forrest really did not have an answer for Evans' punching. The low kicks were working, but not soon enough...
The next fight for Rashad should be Rampage, but I don't believe that the UFC will do that. I think that they will want to coddle Rashad for a few fights, throwing him Hardonk or some other such good, but not champion level fighter. At the same time they, the UFC, will put Rampage up against some other decent fighter for him to chew up, perhaps a Matt Hamil or a Rich Franklin. Then the Evans v Rampage fight for a PPV sometime at the end of 2009.

I go 7 for 10 with three perfect picks.

UFC 92 The Ultimate 2008

Holy crap! The UFC puts together an end of year card that rivals PRIDE end of year blowouts. Interestingly enough PRIDE fighters make up 4 of the 10 bouts (Nog, Rampage, Lister, Chonan, and Silva).
The name "Ultimate 2008" also implies that there may be more "Ultimate" events in years to come. Awesome!!

Dan Evensen Vs. Pat Barry (Heavyweight)
Dan is a BodogFight vet who lost his last, and debut fight in the UFC by KO to Check Kongo. Like most Heavyweight fighters Dan likes to knock people out.
Pat Barry out of Eric Schafer's Roufusport camp makes his debut in the UFC. Showing that the UFC is magnanimous and kind, Barry makes the biggest card of the year with just three fights under his belt... Kind of makes you wonder if Heavyweights are hard to come by or if a deal was made by Schafer to get his buddies in to the big show...
Dan lost to a good kickboxer in Check Kongo, and has been in big fights before in the UFC and Bodog. Pat has only fought in a small show in the Northern Midwest. Pat is going to have some jitters for sure.
Dan by KO first round.

Ryo Chonan Vs. Brad Blackburn (Welterweight)
Chonan won his last fight by boring split decision over Roan Carneiro. Before that he lost a decision to Karo Parisyan. Ryo can be a very exciting fighter, he is just choosing not to be of late.
Ryo is living in the US now and training with Eddie Bravo at 10th Planet, as well as training at Extreme Coulture in Vegas.
Brad is an IFL vet and won his debut in the UFC in exciting fashion, knocking out James Giboo with a flying knee.
This should prove to be a very entertaining fight... Provided the Chonan shows up to fight. If not, Chonan could turn the fight in to a fence leaning clinch snoozefest. Brad needs space to work, and Chonan would be an idiot to give him that space... Let's hope for idiocy.
Brad by KO second round.

Matt Hamill Vs. Reese Andy (Light Heavyweight)
Matt is on again and off again in the UFC. His last fights showed he has greatly improved his stand up, and his wrestling remains very strong. I think that he ran in to some bad luck in his last fight, fighting Rich Franklin tends to hand fighters bad luck.
Andy Reese lost a decision to Brandon Verra in Brandon's first fight as a light heavy. Andy does have a win, all be it by split decision over TUF alum Krzysztof Soszynski.
Both guys are coming off tough losses, but Matt Hamill obviously has more experience and has fought better guys. I think that Reese gives Matt some confidence back. Matt by KO second round.

Antoni Hardonk Vs. Mark Burch (Heavyweight)
Antoni is on a roll winning his last two fights over Colin Robinson, and Eddie Sanchez both by KO. Hardonk likes to smash people, but has shown flashes of a ground game beating two of his opponents by submission.
Mark Burch is a new comer to the UFC, after successful bouts in BoDog and other smaller shows. Like most heavies he wants to knock you out.
Mark really has his work cut out for him against Hardonk. Hardonk has fought better opposition, been in the UFC longer, and has more than just KO wins.
Hardonk by ground and pound KO first round.

Yushin Okami Vs. Dean Lister (Middleweight)
Okami won his last fight by KO. It would be his opponents very last fight, as Evan Tanner was found dead in the desert a few weeks later... Like most Japanese fighters, Okami is focused on his ground game. He methodically picks apart his opponents with a strong top game, and usually ground and pounds his way to victory by Decision. A rare KO or even rarer submission dot his record.
Dean Lister is a ground wizard. But he is a fickle wizard. He is hot and cold. Showing amazing skill on the ground by taping Jeremy Horn by Guillotine Choke and Alessio Sakara by triangle. But then looking like a novice by losing to Nate Marquardt by decision. Dean has very little stand up skill, and I don't think he is really working on it much.
Either way this is ending in a decision. I don't think that Lister can finish Okami, and I am sure that Okami can not finish Lister. What this fight comes down to is who can attain and hold the top position to get the JD. I think that Lister is all too willing to put Okami in his guard and simply hold him there. Certainly, Okami has the edge in wrestling, and Lister is horrible at taking anybody down. So Okami will get the top position. From there, Okami will prevent the sweep and do just enough to keep from getting stood up.
Okami by decision.

Cheick Kongo Vs. Mostapha Al Turk (Heavyweight)
Kongo got back to his knock out ways in his last fight against Dan Evensen. Kongo has shown that he is learning the ground. He showed that he could use his weight and size to prevent someone from moving very much in his decision win over Heath Herring. I guess that is improvement...
Mostapha Al Turk? Seriously? Wasn't that the villain in Aladdin? Bad cultural jokes aside, Al Turk is another export from England's Cage Rage. His record shows that he likes to knock people out... Surprise surprise. He has won his last two fights, amassing a record of 6-3.
I don't really know how Al Turk fights, so I don't know what kind of a fight Kongo can expect. If Al Turk stands and tries to bang with Kongo, it will be lights out Mostapha. If Al Turk has some ground skill, he might be able to secure the top position and get the JD or G&P KO. But I think that Mostapha will do the typical new UFC fighter thing and rush forward for the quick KO.
Kongo by KO first round.

Wanderlei Silva Vs. Quinton Jackson (Light Heavyweight)
Wanderlei was back in style vs Keith Jardine. SMASH SMASH SMASH!!! Awesomeness. Silva has never been very good in the cage, but he seems to be finding his grove now that he can no longer soccer kick and stomp on heads.
Jackson looked OK in his decision loss to Forrest Griffin. He allowed so many leg kicks though, it really took a toll. Quinton does not look like the same fighter that lost to Silva back in 2004. BUT Quinton's mental state does seem to be in the same place before the Silva fight. The loss to Griffin really hurt Quinton, can he come back?
This is a tough call. This will be Quinton's first fight with out the man who improved his boxing to the top of the MMA class, Juanito Ibarra. Ibarra also forced Rampage to train, something that Rampage has repeatedly said is a problem for him. Jackson is now training with Michael Bisping in England... The problem is that Bisping is not well know for his striking. That is not really true... He is known for poor striking.
Silva is training with the group of guys that helped him to win big over Jardine. If Quinton has not fixed the issues that he had during the Griffin fight, Silva will definitely, and brutally exploit those weaknesses, especially that outside leg kick.
I don't think that Quinton is getting the training that he needs, but I do think that Silva is getting the training he needs. Silva by KO second round.

CB Dollaway Vs. Mike Massenzio (Middleweight)
CB is coming off of an amazing Peruvian Necktie win over Jessie Taylor. CB is a solid fighter, but has definite holes in his game. He has submissions, but he tends to defend submission attempts predictably, like the wrestler he is. CB's stand up is very solid.
Massenzio is a BJJ guy that won his last fight over Drew McFedries by a very nasty Kimura. Massenzio seems to be more of a control tight submission guy. He likes bent armbars and chokes.
Interesting match up. CB is known to be susceptible to submissions, but the UFC puts him up against a guy who likes tight submissions, while CD seems to be susceptible to the longer submissions. CB is a good wrestler, and getting to a position for a tight submission on him will be difficult.
CB by decision.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Vs. Frank Mir (Heavyweight)
NOG!! Nog is awesome. BUT the UFC has been stupid and have kept him on the shelf for nearly a year. Nog beat Tim Sylvia way back in February. Nog's biggest weakness is his tendency to just stand there and let his opponent tee off on him. Sure he has a chin like Larry Holmes, but why take the punishment?
In his last fight Frank Mir beat Brock Lesnar by kneebar after getting beat around. Frank also has a tendency to take a lot of punishment before getting to the ground to work his game. The problem there is that Frank really does not have a very solid chin. In the past conditioning has been a problem too. It seems now that Frank has improved that section of his game. I hope so. A bulbous out of shape Mir is not fun to look at.
I don't see where Frank wins this one. Nog has a better ground game. I think that Frank could be caught in the later rounds with a submission. Nog has better conditioning. Have you ever seen Nog gas? Mir has yet to go in to the third round without gassing. This fight is a "Championship" fight, so it goes 5 rounds. Bad for Mir good for Nog.
Nog also has vastly superior stand up game. He is vulnerable to the typical boxer problems, head kicks, and leg kicks, but overall Nog has sharp heavy punches. If Frank wants to stand the KO comes in the third or fourth round.
I think Nog will secure the top position after felling Mir with a punch in the mid third round. From there Nog gets the mount and rains down elbows for the win.
Nog by KO third round.

Forrest Griffin Vs. Rashad Evans (Light Heavyweight)
Forrest took a decision win over Quinton Jackson to secure the Light Heavyweight Championship. Very good for Forrest. Forrest has a solid stand up game with very under rated kicks. Forrest kicks very hard, and nearly all of his opponents report that they were hurt by Forrest's leg kicks. Griffin's ground game is also very sound. He has beaten the best on the ground and is nearly immovable from the top position.
Rashad Evans has shown a vastly improved stand up game knocking out Chuck Liddell and nearly killing Sean Salmon with a head kick. In between he drew with Tito Ortiz and took a split decision win over Michael Bisping. Rashad has a wrestler's ground game dominating from the top position, however he has not really shown anything from his back.
This one ends in a KO for Evans, or a decision for Forrest. I think that the longer the fight goes the more frustrated Evans will become, and that will cause him to make mistakes that will allow Forrest to eak out the win. That is unless Evans doesn't turn out Forrest's lights with that big right hand, not out of the question. While Forrest has an awkward style, he tends to catch those straight rights right on the button. Not good, just ask Chuck Liddell.
Fun match up, but I think that this fight will look a lot like Bonnar Evans. Rashad on top punching with Forrest trying to get the sweep. Stand-ups galore with Evans taking Forrest down to avoid the kicks.
Evans by decision. I hate that pick... I like Forrest and I hope he wins. I do not like Rashad and I hope he looses, but I don't think that Forrest has what it takes to beat Rashad. Thiago Silva however might have the right combination of standup and ground to do the trick.

World's Greatest Food

The bacon cheese roll:

Why Didn't They Have This In High School

I would have remembered it...

On The Road

My wife is coming to the end of her medical school training, and it is time she starts looking for a residency, so we have been on the road... sky? we only drove one place... I don't know the expression... anyway we have been out and about this great country of mine, she lives here but it is not her country, and, as these are potentially places we could move and live in, I have done a little review on all of the places with all of the the important stuff that bangs around in my tiny brain.
Everything is in relation to Omaha, as that is where I am living now.
Cost of living is estimated on a $50,000 income from salary.com
Job market was derived from number of jobs similar to mine on a search from Monster.com
In order of travel:

Kansas City

Housing Market:
Similar to Omaha

Cost of Living:
Slightly more expensive 6.1%

Job Market:
Meh. Not very many SharePoint positions, lots of developer spots, a few Web Master spots.

CCW:
Shall Issue State (KS and MO)
Recognises Nebraska CCW (both states)

MMA/Muay Thai:
KC is kind of short on places to train. There are a few guys who fight out of there, Brian Gassaway, but not many.

Weather:
Same

Aviation:
KC is a Class B airspace, but it has lots of little, uncontrolled airports surrounding it for general aviation use.

Sushi:
Hard to find...

Comments:
KC is a nice city, similar people to Omaha, and it is close to what I know. It has good shopping for the wife.
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Cincinnati

Housing Market:
Similar to Omaha.

Cost of Living:
Better than Omaha! -0.5%

Job Market:
Bad... Not many jobs listed.

CCW:
Shall Issue!
Ohio does not recognize Nebraska CCW.

MMA/Muay Thai:
Meat Truck Inc., Jorge Gurgel, Rich Franklin, they all train around this area. Lots of good stuff.

Weather:
Similar to Omaha, but slightly warmer

Aviation:
Cincinnati is a class "B" airspace. There are a couple of smaller airports around, but not a lot.

Sushi:
We found a nice sushi restaurant with out too much trouble, and saw that there was a good Japanese population, so lots of good sushi.

Comments:
I did not get to really walk around Cincinnati very much, what I did see, I was not impressed with. However, across the river in to Kentucky there was lots of good shopping, restaurants, and an overall better place.
__________________________________________________


Chicago

Housing Market:
EXPENSIVE!!

Cost of Living:
Much more expensive than Omaha, 24.3%

Job Market:
Lots and lots of SharePoint jobs!

CCW:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! CCW??? In Barack Obama's adopted home state? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

MMA/Muay Thai:
A few gyms here and there in the city. Several fighters work out around the Chicago area, Stephan Bonar, and Andrei Arlovski to name a couple.

Weather:
Colder, more wind off of the lake.

Aviation:
Big and busy Class B airspace. There is some general aviation in the surrounding airports, but rumor is that ATC hates us.

Sushi:
Lots and lots of good places, and a strong Japanese population.

Comments:
I found Chicago to be a lot of fun to walk around in. Lots and lots of shops, cool places to hang out in and such.
I was surprised to see how friendly people were, especially to those obviously lost. We got help from all sides on the bus, El, and on the street. Everyone seemed busy, but if you looked like you needed help, the busy people were there to help you out. I dare say that the same help would NOT be given on Omaha streets.
Sales Tax was oppressively high, 13%, and the city oppressively liberal.
__________________________________________________


Hartford

Housing Market:
EXPENSIVE

Cost of Living:
Expensive. 9.4%

Job Market:
Crap. Very few jobs.

CCW:
Responsible May Issue. This means that you have to apply to your local Sheriff and tell them why you need to carry a concealed weapon. If you have an unsympathetic Sheriff, like in Hartford, it is unlikely to be issued.
Nebraska CCW is not recognized.

MMA/Muay Thai:
A few gyms are around.


Weather:
Harsh winters, OK summers.

Aviation:
Very little to speak of.

Sushi:
There are a few Sushi places around, but we did not get a chance to eat at any.

Comments:
I found the people of Hartford to be very very stuffy. They seemed to want to find a reason to think they were better than you. Simply being from a state east of New York was enough for most.
__________________________________________________


Oklahoma City

Housing Market:
Good!

Cost of Living:
Much Lower! -11.7%

Job Market:
Not very good...

CCW:
Shall Issue! Oklahoma recognizes Nebraska's CCW!

MMA/Muay Thai:
There are a couple of BJJ black belts in the OKC area, the most decorated being Rafael Lovato. There is even a guy who claims to be an ATT black belt.

Weather:
Much warmer than Omaha, but more severe thunderstorms, and unstable air than in Omaha.

Aviation:
Lots of little airports and FBOs around.

Sushi:
We went to a couple of Sushi restaurants in OKC... One we walked out of as soon as we walked in. The other we stayed in, but we were not able to get the kind of sushi we are used to... That being authentic sushi, not the rolled together crap that Americans pass off as Sushi... This was such a place.

Comments:
Oklahoma City was a very interesting place. In the middle of the day, when most downtown areas would be bustling with people, OKC was a virtual ghost town. I am sure people work downtown, but it just seemed empty.
The people of Oklahoma City have invested a huge amount of money in their downtown area, building a canal system and a very nice restaurant/shopping area called Bricktown. Sonic's headquarters is there, as well as a massive Bass Pro Shops store.
I found the people of Oklahoma City very nice, but it was almost as if culture or something demanded niceness out of them, so they did it as a cultural experience not necessarily because they wanted to. There was something disingenuous about it.
__________________________________________________


Indianapolis

Housing Market:
The housing market is depressed in the Indianapolis area, so houses are cheap and plentiful. I was surprised to learn that most of the residents not making more than $40K a year, with massive $100K+ student loan payments, were able to afford very nice homes.

Cost of Living:
Very similar to Omaha, just a bit cheaper -1.0%

Job Market:
Very nice. Lots of SharePoint positions.

CCW:
Shall Issue! Indiana recognizes Nebraska CCW!

MMA/Muay Thai:
There are a couple of MMA, and a couple of Muay Thai gyms. It does not look like Indy is really a MMA town, but there are some places to train.

Weather:
Very similar to Omaha.

Avaition:
Lots of little airports and FBOs around.

Sushi:
A nice sized Japanese population makes for some very nice Sushi restaurants. I found a couple restaurants just walking around downtown Indy, but I did not eat anywhere.

Comments:
Indianapolis seemed to be a very nice small city with a big city feel. The downtown area was busy with lots of shops, and felt a lot like Chicago as I walked around, but not as big.
We were there during a home Colts game, and it was good to see the whole city really supported the team. During the day after the game, and the next day, I saw lots of people wearing their Colts gear with pride. It was good to see, coming from a state that worships its Huskers.
__________________________________________________


Overall if I have to move, I found Indianapolis the place I would choose. Similar cost of living, a good amount of jobs, a very nice downtown area, and pro sports.

UFC Fight For the Troops - Recap

I did not get to watch the fights... Apparently Oklahoma City does not have wireless Internet or decent television....

Justin McCully def Eddie Sanchez Decision
My Pick: I say Eddie wins by KO first round
Guess Justin has something else to say...

Dale Hartt def Corey Hill TKO (Leg Injury) 0:20 rnd 2
My Pick: I say Hartt by KO second round.
Hell to the yeah. I have to see this one... Was it the leg kicks? I bet it was the leg kicks.

Ben Saunders def Brandon Wolff TKO (Knees) 1:49 rnd 1
My Pick: Ben by RNC second round
Or knees it the first, what ever floats your boat.

Steve Bruno def Johnny Rees Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 3:44 rnd 2
My Pick: Steve over the "The Hater Hurter" by RNC first round
For the love of Pete, Steve, I could have had two home runs had you just closed the deal a few minutes earlier...


Luigi Fioravanti def Brodie Farber Decision
My Pick: Luigi by decision
Keep on rocking with your mediocrity Luigi!


Jim Miller def Matt Wiman Decision
My Pick: I didn't say... I was going to pick Wiman though so that goes as a loss for me.


Tim Credeur def Nate Loughran TKO (Injury) 5:00 rnd 2
My Pick: Tim by decision.
Good job Tim!!


Steve Cantwell def Razak Al-Hassan Technical Submission (Armbar) 4:04 rnd 1
My Pick: Steve by KO second round
Steve averts a major incident by catching Al-Hassan.

Mike Swick def Jonathan Goulet TKO (Punches) 0:33 rnd 1
My Pick: Mike by decision.
What the... 33 seconds? Wow.


Josh Koscheck def Yoshiyuki Yoshida KO (Punch) 2:15 rnd 1
My Pick: Yoshida by decision.
I guess that Yoshida is less a monster than I thought... or is a monster with a weak chin... Or a monster whose Kryptonite is curly blond wrestlers...

I go 7 of 10.

UFC Fight For The Troops

The troops deserve our very best... except good fights. Sure I will watch it, but I won't enjoy it...

Eddie Sanchez Vs. Justin McCully (Heavyweight)
Eddie has been off and on in the UFC, he was picked as CroCop's first knock out, then went on to win a few. He most recently lost to Antoni Hardonk in June.
Justin beat a decent Antoni Hardonk then was brought in as Gabe Gonzaga's cupcake to snap his two fight loosing streak.
These two guys have fought the same guy, Antoni Hardonk. Eddie lost Justin won. Tough call but, I say Eddie wins by KO first round.

Corey Hill Vs. Dale Hartt (Lightweight)
Cory is coming off of a loss to Justin Buchholz.
Dale Hartt is a fighter out of Team Sityodtong, members include Pat Cote, Stephan Bonnar, Marcus Davis, KenFlo, and Jorge Rivera. Wow.
This is an interesting fight. Mark DellaGrotte at Sityodtong has been turning out incredible strikers for a while now. Just look at how sharp Jorge Gurgel looked after training there for his last fight. Dale should be a monster on his feet.
Corey Hill is so damn tall. He is 6'4"! Dale is 5'10". Hill is going to have a MONSTER reach advantage. If Corey is anything like the last I saw him, he likes to leave his lead leg way out there, he will be crushed by leg kicks. This should be a stand up fight, as it is very unlikely that Hartt will take Hill down, even if he wanted to.
I say Hartt by KO second round.

Ben Saunders Vs. Brandon Wolff (Welterweight)
ATT trained Ben Saunders saunters back in to the ring after beating Ryan Thomas by armbar. Ben is now 2-0 in the UFC, 6-0-2 overall.
Brandon Wolff won his last fight by split decision over my friend Chad Reiner back in May. Brandon is on a 4 fight win streak, and will make his debut in the UFC.
Ben is on his way up in the UFC, and Brandon is looking for his big break. Ben trains with the best MMA team in the world, Brandon trains with an obscure team in Hawaii.
Ben by RNC second round.

Steve Bruno Vs. Johnny Rees (Welterweight)
ATT fighter Steve Bruno lost his UFC debut by decision to Chris Wilson. Johnny lost his debut fight in the UFC by triangle to Nate Loughran. Bad thing if you are facing a guy from ATT.
Steve over the "The Hater Hurter" by RNC first round.

Luigi Fioravanti Vs. Brodie Farber (Welterweight)
Luigi has been up and down in the UFC, first beating Dave Menne, then loosing to Jon Fitch and Forrest Petz, then beating Luke Cummo before loosing to Diego Sanchez. He has fought the best, and has been beaten by them...
Brodie got kicked in the head at 1:37 of his debut UFC fight by Rory Markham... He is looking for redemption here.
Both of these guys are good on the ground, 7 of Brodie's wins come by submission, and Luigi trains out of ATT. Luigi seems to be more of a stand up guy, so that give him the edge in this fight.
Luigi by decision.

Matt Wiman Vs. Jim Miller (Lightweight)
Handsome Matt Wiman has done very well for himself in the UFC after loosing to Spencer Fisher, going 4-0.
IFL vet Jim Miller beat David Baron by RNC in his UFC debut. Jim is a submission guy going 12-1, with 9 of his wins by submission.

Crap... I am out of time so I have to abbreviate the last ones.


Tim Credeur Vs. Nate Loughran (Middleweight)
Tim by decision.

Steve Cantwell Vs. Razak Al-Hassan (Light Heavyweight)
Really? You put a guy named Al-Hassan in a fight against a guy named Steve, in front of a bunch of US troops??? Really?
Steve better win or there might be a riot. And it won't be Quiet... (Come on fell the noise! Girls rock your boys! We'll get wild, wild, wild.) Wait what was I saying? Oh yeah. Steve by KO second round.

Mike Swick Vs. Jonathan Goulet (Welterweight)
Should be a good ground fight, but not very exciting unless you are in to BJJ... Mike by decision.

Josh Koscheck Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (Welterweight)
I think that I am the only one who thinks that Yoshida is a monster. Yoshida by decision.

Whale Wars

I watched Whale Wars on the Animal Planet this weekend. It is the story about a bunch of militant yet peaceful hippies trying to enforce an unenforceable law in international waters. They try to board whaling vessels, from Japan, and show them a letter saying that what they are doing is illegal in Australia. The problem is that they are not in Australia. They are in international waters.

First and foremost, a little something about international law... There is no such thing. If a law is passed, as in this case, in Australia, that law is only enforceable in Australia. It can not be enforced in international waters. The only way you can enforce laws in international waters is with military force, or by getting the offenders to dock in a country where the law was broken and arresting them then. BUT if a "crime" occurs on a boat in international waters it is up to the crew to report it in the country that the boat is registered in, or the crew member's country of origin. If that "crime" is not a "crime" in the country of origin then I very much doubt that you will be prosecuted for anything.

SO, first the hippies start out and find that this boat does not sail in the calm waters of the Caribbean, it sails in the horribly choppy waters of the Antarctic. Everybody gets sea sick.

The next thing made me nearly throw my TV out the window... As one of the crew members was doing some cleaning work on the helicopter, he dented one of the rotor blades with a tool. So one of the blades has a huge chip in the trailing edge.
State side this would have absolutely put the helicopter in the shop. The rotor is the wing of the helicopter and any nick, chip, or deformity in that wing makes the aircraft unsafe for flight. All pilots in their preflight checks make sure that their propellers, or rotors are chip, and deformity free before they start their engine. If something is found the flight is scrubbed. If you fly with that deformity, it creates vibration that can cause changes in your flight characteristics, or even cause your prop/rotor to fly off killing you deader than Dickens.

These idiots decide that they will simply do some minor flight tests to see if the helicopter can fly. The captain agrees. Holy freaking crap. If I am on that boat, I immediately realize that the captain has absolutely no regard for the safety of his ship or the safety of his crew. He is willing to sacrifice your life for the lives of the whales. Awesome.
Even on military ships where calculated risks are taken, they never make a move that would sacrifice safety in such a way.
They do the test flight and despite a little vibration and a weird whistling noise, they think everything is cool and will continue to use the helicopter.
An aircraft is not a car. You can't just pull off to the side of the road if you have problems. Especially in roting wing aircraft if you loose your engine, or if there are any problems you fall out of the sky like a stone. I my opinion, this "pilot" is endangering his aircraft, his life, the lives of his passengers, and the lives of his crew members. No self respecting pilot would do that. And no pilot would have respect for anyone who would do such a thing.

Then the idiots decide that they want to launch one of their rubber boats. They put one of their newest crew members, one who has never launched a boat from a ship in his life, in one of the most critical positions, on the bow line. Then all of the people going on the boat, got in to the boat.
This should have thrown a red flag for somebody, because normally only the coxswain will get in to the launch craft the boat will be put in to the water THEN the rest of the crew will board, but remember these people don't care about the safety of the crew, so off they went. Of course, the boat was put in to the water at a horrible angle because the bow line was not held properly, the boat broke its moorings, and capsized, throwing the whole crew in the freezing Antarctic sea. Luckily everybody was wearing their survival suits, so no one died of exposure, but it was a close call.

Now these geniuses decide to board a Japanese fishing vessel. For some reason they think that these guys will just let them walk on board and hand the captain a letter. The Japanese are under orders to treat the idiots like pirates. Know what that means? The Japanese can detain the idiots and haul their asses back to Japan for trial. The Japanese are also within their rights to fire upon the pirate vessel.
It is a good thing that the Japanese are such pussies, cause if you would have been taking on a Brazilian whaling vessel you would be full of holes before you got within 100 meters of the ship.

So everybody freaks out while the Japanese detain their crew members. The captain stands there with a stupid look on his face while his underlings run around trying to send pictures to the media. Just like a liberal to leave self defence and the defence of others to somebody else.

The show ends there, but there promises to be more misadventures with the hippies later.

UFC 91 Recap

It looked like the UFC of old, and the GROUND was king, armbars, chokes, sweeps, omoplatas, rubber guard, and huge slams. Awesome, awesome awesome. Very good fights!! Kudos to the UFC, they desperately needed it after the recent snoozefests.

Matt Brown vs Ryan Thomas Submission (Armbar) 0:57 rnd 2
My Pick: Matt by KO first round
Matt took a lot of punishment before getting the armbar. Perhaps Ryan learns that slamming out of an armbar is not the best way to defend...

Mark Bocek def Alvin Robinson Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 3:16 rnd 3
My Pick: Alvin by decision
Mark looked very sharp getting a great armbar.


Jeremy Stephens def Rafael dos Anjos KO (Punches) 0:39 rnd 3
My Pick: Rafael by armbar first round
Apparently nobody told Rafael and I that Jeremy has an uppercut that can knock out giants...
Take a look:



Aaron Riley def Jorge Gurgel Decision
My Pick: Riley by decision
I am one of Jorge's biggest fans, but WHY oh WHY must you try to work to the other dude's strength Jorge???? WHY???? Aaron brawls and beats Jorge, cause Jorge needs to realize that his strength is on the ground.

Demian Maia def Nate Quarry Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 2:13 rnd 1
My Pick: Maia by decision
Maia looked unbeatable. He pulled half guard, swept Nate, got the back and sunk in the choke. Amazing. Get this guy some Muay Thai defence and I think we have a real contender for Anderson Silva to face. I have become a Demian Maia fan, despite what he did to my friend.

Gabriel Gonzaga def Josh Hendricks KO (Punches) 1:01 rnd 1
My Pick: Gabe by KO first round.
Yawn. No surprise, elite heavy handed Brazilian Black Belt who can out kick Cro-Cop beats a nobody from nowhere...

Dustin Hazelett def Tamdan McCrory Submission (Reverse Armbar) 3:59 rnd 1
My Pick: Dustin by Triangle second round
Dustin looks so smooth and sharp he may want to get a new job with Gilette... Or better yet use some of Gilette's fine products to shave that beard...

Kenny Florian def Joe Stevenson Submission (Rear-naked choke) 4:03 rnd 1
My Pick: Kenny by decision
This was a fight of man vs boy. Kenny made Joe look like a little girl.

Brock Lesnar def Randy Couture TKO (Punches) 3:07 rnd 2
My Pick: Randy by Decision
Ok so a WWE guy is now the UFC Heavyweight champion? Awesome. This makes our sport look so real and above board now...
Nog after you rip some appendage off of Mir, could you please PLEASE show ManBearPig what a real fighter is????

I go 6 for 9 in the UFC's best show this year.

UFC 91 Weigh Ins

Man vs Bear
Randy Couture (220) Man vs. Brock Lesnar (265) Bear

Heavyweight
Gabriel Gonzaga (256) vs. Josh Hendricks (238)

Middleweight
Nate Quarry (185) vs. Demian Maia (185)

Welterweights
Dustin Hazelett (170) vs. Tamdan McCrory (170)
Matt Brown (171) vs. Ryan Thomas (170)

Lightweights
Kenny Florian (156) vs. Joe Stevenson (156)
Jorge Gurgel (155) vs. Aaron Riley (156)
Jeremy Stephens (155) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (155)
Alvin Robinson (155) vs. Mark Bocek (155)

UFC 91

Matt Brown Vs. Ryan Thomas
Matt lost by a hair in his last fight in the UFC. He will be out to prove he is still a UFC caliber fighter. Ryan is looking to make a comeback after loosing his first fight in the UFC.
Matt by KO first round

Alvin Robinson Vs. Mark Bocek
Tough fight to call. Both guys are young and both are looking to revenge losses in their last UFC fight. It looks like Alvin has the more complete game and I think that he can eek out the win.
Alvin by decision

Jeremy Stephens Vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Dude from Des Monies against a BJJ world champ. Hummm.
Rafael by armbar first round

Jorge Gurgel Vs. Aaron Riley
Jorge just can't seem to get it done in the UFC. He has been working his Thai Boxing with possible future opponent Kenny Florian in Boston, but it hasn't been his striking that has been the problem, it has been his unwillingness to fight to HIS strengths rather than try to prove that he can beat his guy as THEIR strengths.
Riley by decision

Dustin Hazelett Vs. Tamdan McCrory
Dustin has the slickest subs in the game right now. I don't think that Tamdan can G&P his way out of this one.
Dustin by Triangle second round

Nate Quarry Vs. Demian Maia
I don't think that Nate can keep the fight standing, and I don't think that Demian can sub Nate.
Maia by decision

Gabriel Gonzaga Vs. Josh Hendricks
The UFC gives Gabe a cupcake so that he can make his comeback.
Gabe by KO first round.

Kenny Florian Vs. Joe Stevenson
Should be an interesting ground battle. Joe is very strong, but I don't think that he can finish a guy that Sean Sherk could not stop.
Kenny by decision

Randy Couture Vs. Brock Lesnar
Welcome to 2008's version of man vs bear. Playing the part of Man will be Randy Couture, the part of bear, Brock "I have a penis on my chest" Lesnar. Brock will try to maul Randy. Randy should be savvy enough to avoid getting mauled. When Brock gasses in the second round, Randy should be able to pick his shots and win.
Randy by Decision

My Soft Side

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

Leben Tests Hot

Chris Leben tested positive for steroids after his bout with Michael Bisping. His excuse? A fresh one. It wasn't that he didn't know he was taking them, or his supplements had vitamin "S." His excuse was that he screwed up his cycle and thought that the drugs would be out of his system by fight day.

Awesome. I guess it is illegal only if you get caught.

Who Owns You?

"You are so weird!"
"Why do you act this way?"
"Nobody cares about the things you care about."
"If we are in a room with 100 people and you, 50 people would be with the Democrats, 50 people would be with the Republicans, they there would be you in the corner by yourself."
Some of the comments I have heard lately when I attempt answer the question of "Who are you going to vote for?"

I have tried to boil it down for people as to what my political and social philosophy is. I have tried to do it intellectually, citing Hobbs (Thomas Hobbs not the tiger), Madison (James Madison, not the mermaid), and Jefferson (Thomas Jefferson, not the ones in the Deluxe Apartment in the sky). The problem is that most people don't know who those men are, dismiss them as dead white guys or, just don't care to listen. I needed a new tactic. It boils down to one simple question: "Who owns you?"

Who does? Most people immediately respond, I own me. I reply, "Do you?" "Yes." They say, "What a stupid question." Then I begin to ask a series of questions:
If you own you, why does the Government intercept a percentage of your income before you get it?
Why does the Government dictate what you can and can not put into your body?
Why does the Government tell you how much money you can make?

Madison and Jefferson believed that you belonged to yourself. They framed the Constitution to ensure that the people of the United States would forever be owned by themselves... The problem is that the people of the United States no longer want to be owned by themselves. They wish to be owned by the Government. King George III gets the last laugh. The people who so violently threw off the yoke of tyranny, willingly and enthusiastically place the yoke back on their necks.

In The Bag

Despite the most recent polls from AP, the Untied States will elect Barack Obama as President. McCain will need to do something drastic in order to prevent his eventual defeat, but, if his previous campaign strategy holds, he will not.

I was listening to Bill O'Riley and O'Riley came up with a good idea for McCain. One that McCain will not take... When you listen to O'Riley you have to realize a few things. First O'Riley will do his absolute best to be fair by giving both sides equal time. Second, O'Riley has his point of view, and since his show is about his point of view he will attack those who do not hold his point of view, and give those who support his point of view more time with out interruption to present their case. Third, O'Rilely loves himself. He believes that he is the smartest one in the room, and is not afraid to tell you that.
All that said, O'Riley's idea is valid. He said that McCain should hold a major press conference, or a rally in a large battle ground state city, like St. Louis or Cleavland, at this presser/rally he brings up Mitt Romney, and says "If elected I will appoint Mitt Romney, a brilliant business man as my Treasury Secretary. He will fix the economy." Then McCain brings up Rudy Giuliani and says: "Rudy Giuliani will be my Attorney General. He will bring to justice all in government and in the private sector who caused this mess."
This is a great idea. It openly forces Obama to do the same. With such little time, I very much doubt that Obama can come up with two people as qualified to do the same jobs. On top of this, McCain chooses two men who have already been vetted by the public. We know who they are and what their flaws are. Anybody Obama brings would be new and untested, or old and more of the same.

McCain will not do this. He will keep talking about Joe The Plumber. He will loose. The US will take a step back in to the New Deal, and the Great Society. Policies that have failed for 30 years. Only America is in a much worse spot now, because we are still paying for said New Deal, and Great Society.

I welcome Obama as President. I realize that it took Carter to give us Regan. It took Clinton to give us Gingrich. Who will Obama give us? Will Obama's crushing tax policies be enough to drive the FairTax in to reality? Will the people ever regain their love of freedom? I hope so. But hope kills pilots. It is best to go with the evidence. And the evidence says that freedom is dead.

Code Pink Tries To Arrest Rove

Apparently a Code Pink protester tried to make a citizens arrest of Karl Rove when he was giving a talk...

I think that I would have let her arrest me, just to see what would happen. Really, these people are supposed to be pacifists, and if I am arrested, wouldn't they try to free me right away like most other criminals? Would they feel sympathy if I said that I was just a product of the system, and that I wasn't really responsible for the things they said I did? I think that would be a laugh a minute.

Code Pink, please arrest me! We could have some good times!!

Story

Luke Cummo Arrested for DUI

On suspicion of drug use... Luke? The guy who drinks his own urine? No... Nope I don't believe that he could be using drugs. Nope I don't buy it.

Luke has been replaced on the UFC Dec 10th "Fight For the Troops" event by Johnny Rees.

Man Purse

I am having some difficulty with carrying my gun. I don't get "made" and I am not self conscious about wearing. The problem is that it is uncomfortable to switch between "carry" and "no carry" modes.
For instance... I am carrying my Khar, as a often do, my wife wants me to try on some clothes... What do I do now? Leave the gun in the fitting room with my pants?
Another instance... We are out and about and we decide that we want to go to the grocery store, nope, can't walk in because they have that stupid gun sticker up. They just want psychos who don't care about the law carrying guns in their store.

Anyway It is much easier to get around with a man purse off the body type carrying device. So, I begin to look for something that will appeal to my wife's fashion sense all while keeping me reasonably manly.

First and foremost, I WILL NOT wear a fanny pack. I just won't do it. They look horrible and they go with nothing. I am looking for something that I can wear that will look decent with everything.

Most bags are not made for CCW, so you run in to problems like there is no place to attach your holster to. That sucks, because you really do not want to have your gun just floating around in a bag pocket. One the gun will pick up a lot of dirt and lint. If you carry an automatic, I do, dirt and junk will gum up the action, and may cause a feed issue. Really not something you want when you need to fire a second or third shot and your pistol jams. A holster not only keeps the gun in the right position, but can protect it from unwanted fouling.
Another issue is that the pockets may be in the wrong place. A bag not made for CCW may only have a few pockets, and it can look really strange if your other stuff is smashed together in the small pocket.

Made for CCW bags are few and far between. Let's be honest. Most guys who carry guns have some sort of esteem issue somewhere, thus anything even resembling a woman's purse on a man sends them looking to burn somebody in the name of JESUS!!! So, most CCW made bags resemble military gear packs. Not something that goes well with anything other than BDUs.

So let's look at some options.

Not Made For CCW
Osprey Packs Veer Shoulder Bag


This is a nice bag, but I will have to do something about the pockets... They are the right size and in the right place, but there are no attachments inside for my holster... I might end up having to buy a pocket holster...
Anyway Osprey is a hippy company, that would probably have a stroke if they thought that their bags would even be purchased by someone who once fired their grandfather's shotgun that onetime they stayed with him in his farm house... That kind of makes me giggle...

Keen Brooklyn Postal Bag


Keen is the same company that makes those really kick ass shoes that I wear all of the time. I even got some of their new leather ones shoes I can wear them in the winter time.
This bag I think is actually marketed to the womens... That's ok I am secure in my man-ness. It is not a woman's purse. It is my ultra manly postal bag of death.
This bag has a back pocket that, I think, will fit my Kahr perfectly. Again, there is no place to hook my holster on to... I seem destined to buy a Nemesis Pocket Holster

Eddie Bauer Small Guide Bag


Not a bad bag, but it really has no interior pockets for anything... My pistol will certainly fit in one of the pockets, but it will also roll around in there...


Made For CCW
Coronado Leather Cross Carry Bag

Hot socks, now you are talking!!
This bag looks awesome and can go with anything, anywhere. It comes with a built in holster and is specially designed for CCW. The problem is that it is pricey. $155 makes the $40 Eddie Bauer bag more attractive.

Marom Dolphin FP 2 Covert Shoulder Bag


This guy is a little out there, as Marom Dolphin mostly makes stuff just for military use. This seems to be a nice looking bag, but I know nothing about it...

Maxpedition Fatboy Versipack

Very military, very manly... Goes with nothing. On top of that... The thing is HUGE.

The biggest problem that I seem to be running in to is just that... size. Men's bags tend to be messenger type bags and are very large. The kind of bags that you would take off, or would look strange when carrying around with shorts and a T shirt. The Man's Bag has replaced the briefcase in many places, but has had to take on the same size of the briefcase.

Of all of the bags I have found, I like the Osprey, Keen, and Coronado Leather bags best, with the Coronado Leather bag leading the pack. It is made for CCW, and is nice enough to wear with anything. The Osprey and Keen would not necessarily look good if I am wearing all of my nice clothes... Like to a job interview or something. What? You don't want to bring a gun to a job interview? You know you do!!

If I Ever Make It Back In To The Gym...

I am going to choke somebody with this... babywipes are funny.

Oh Crap...

They have learned to ride horses... Next we will have Lion Cavalry! I thought bear calvary was bad, but lions??? Our time has ended!!

JCVD!

Wait... In what movie did JVCD play an ass kicking hasidic Jew??

I Would Watch It!

Health Care a Right?

Let me see...

1. Free exercise of religion, speech, press, peaceful assembly, and bitch at government... No health care there.
2. Individuals can keep and bear arms... No health care there.
3. No army guys in the house without consent of the owner... No health care there
4. I get to have my stuff and person not searched or seized without probable cause... Not there either
5. Can't be held for a capital crime with out indictment from a grand jury, can't try me for the same crime twice, can't make me testify against myself, and no property can be taken for public use with out just compensation... We just forget that last part any way, so maybe they are trying to sneak it in there... Kind of an odd place for it... Nah, lets move on.
6. Speedy trial, impartial jury of their peers, tried in the place of the crime, they have to tell me what I am being tried for, have witnesses against me presented, have the ability to get my own witnesses, and have a lawyer... Definitely no health care there.
7. I get to have a jury if I want it, and can't be reexamined by any court with out a formal appeal. Not there either. I am running out of rights in the bill of rights... There are still three more so don't despair!! I am sure that we will find it.
8. No excessive bail, or excessive fines (have they heard of double fines in a construction zone?) or cruel and unusual punishments (if you do an unusual punishment enough times does it make it unusual??). No health care here.
9. No one really knows what this one means gives us... Basically it means that just because a right is not talked about here the Feds still can't violate it.... I could see an argument sticking health care in here, but then you would also have to put driving flying, hunting, prostitution, and whatever else not talked about in the Constitution as well.
10. If the Constitution does not specifically mention a power, then that power is given to the individual states. FINALLY, something we can use.

Health Care may be considered a right, but not at the Federal level. If a state wishes to declare Health Care a right, it may do so, but it should not receive any Federal funding or support.

Steve Fossett's Super Decathlon Found

Well, it's over. The wreckage of Steve Fossett's Super Decathlon was found near Mammoth Lakes California. I knew that Steve was dead, but I had hoped that there would be that sliver of chance that he was living off of the land somewhere in Nevada. Not so. It seems as if Steve went down in a wooded area, died or was severely injured in the crash, then his body was eaten by wild life.

What could have caused such a famed and experienced pilot to go down? Engine failure? Weather? We may never know...

The nature of flying is that it is horribly unforgiving. Hopefully Steve did not make an arrogant mistake that led to his death. Hopefully it was something mechanical that he could not prevent or see.

Just Cause It's True

Raising the Dead

Mark Coleman vs "Shogun" Rua has been confirmed by the UFC. You have got to be kidding me. Mark Coleman is now 44, and has not won a match of any significance since winning the first PRIDE Grand Prix back in 2001. Since then he has lost to ever name competitor. Fedor tapped him out (twice), Cro Cop knocked him out, and Nog choked him out. He did manage to beat nobody Milco Voorn, though. Nice job Mark.
Let's face it, Mark's last visit to the UFC was in 1999 when he got beat by Pedro Rizzo. Before that Pete Williams knocked Mark out with one of the first highlight head kicks. Mark's game has not changed a bit since then. Ground pound, ground pound, rinse and repeat. He remains vulnerable to submissions, and to a strong standing attack.
What did change about his game is that in PRIDE they did not test for vitamin "S." And now you put him in the UFC that has more testing that the Tour de France. Nice.

This should be a cake walk for Rua, who lost to Mark via a freak injury. I hope it is, because I like Rua's style and he was always fun to watch. Hopefully he has made the adjustments needed to compete in the UFC.



You thought that this post would be about the Economic Bailout didn't you? HA! Ninjas survive by being unpredictable. And I have just hit you with a literary siruken!

Unintended Consequences

Hummm... World markets are tanking because the dollar becomes stronger during our current financial crisis. Interesting.

If the U.S. goes in to a deep recession, which we deserve, and pulls the rest of the world with us, will there be violence?

I can absolutely see that if the US goes in to a depression (a recession that lasts years) we will pull the world with us. There will be violence around the world and at home if that happens. But what about a downturn for a few quarters? Will other countries take arms up against our most vulnerable allies, like Georgia?

Hummm... I may have to rethink my "let them die" position. However, without massive spending cuts, I just don't see how the Government can pay for the huge bailout. We either tax more, which will kill an economic recovery, or we print more money, which will devalue the dollar, and if the dollar is worth less, that automatically increases prices, which drives the inflation percentage up... which will kill any economic recovery.

I am starting to warm up to the hard line Republican idea of selling insurance to banks, so that the loans that actually fail are the ones that we the people will bail out. At least the government will not be holding the paper, as the Democrats want.

Hummm....

Awesomeness

I will need one of these for the coming apocalypse.

Hummer looks to take on Jeep in the entry level 4 Wheel Drive fun car. Interesting as the Military version of the H1, the Humvee replaced the military version of the Jeep Wrangler.

The First Debate

I didn't watch it. I didn't need to. I read the transcript, and then I looked at the polls to see who the people thought won.

From reading the transcript, I would say that McCain attempted to present his case, and that Obama was waving the hammer and sickle. So, I knew 100% that the people would be saying that Obama won the debate.

I was right.

Freedom is dead in America, and it becomes evident when Obama out and out says that the free market can not solve any problems. Never mind that government buying bad loans off of banks is what got us in to the credit crunch in the first place. Government is the answer says Obama... And McCain!

We are at the point of the downhill slide in to Communism and oppression. Its march was arrested briefly by Ronald Regan and the Republican congress of Newt Gingrich. Those two moments were merely speed bumps in the road set forth by Hoover, Roosevelt, LBJ, and George W. Bush.

Running a 10 K

My wife likes to run. I do not. She wanted me to run a 10K with her. I was less than enthused, but I decided to run it, because it would make her happy, and I wanted to see if I could do it.

I had planed to do some training for this by doing some running, but work has been crazy these past few weeks, and I got zero time to work out. So I started to run farther than I ever have before with no training.

My wife set a slow pace for us to start out, I thought that it was too slow, but I decided to defer to her better knowledge of how to finish these things.

I have to admit that I was a little embarrassed, because an older gentleman was smoking us right out of the gate. He was not running, he was speed walking. Take that ego!!

There was not much to tell about the race itself. It was fun talking with my wife during the run. She was enjoying herself, and I was just trying to keep the pace. I got to take the water from one of the people at the hydration point, just like one of the marathon runners I saw at the Olympics. That was kind of cool.

As we hit the 3 mile mark or so we started to notice certain things. We were starting to pass the people that were smoking us at the beginning.

As we got more and more comfortable in the run, we began to speed up, passing more and more fast starters who were now walking.

Then we saw something... The speed walker. We kicked it up just a little bit and passed the speed walker. Take that man twice my age!!!

I started to run out of gas about the six mile mark, and really struggled for the last .2 miles.
I finished at about 1 hour and 10 minutes, running about 5.5 miles an hour. It was an accomplishment, even though my time was nothing for a runner to brag about. I don't care because I am not a runner. I kept running the whole time. I did not stop, and did not walk. Our steady, ever increasing pace did wonders, as we did not gas early and have to rest. The wife really nailed that one!

I enjoyed the run mainly because it was something I did with my wife... I might do another run, but I will train a bit next time.

I Am Going to Hell

You are too if you laughed...

The Greatest Kick That Never Landed

UFN Omaha Recap

A good overall show, lots of good technique, but many fighters not really fighting to win...

Dan Miller def Rob Kimmons Submission (Rear-naked choke) 1:27 rnd 1
My Pick: Miller by kneebar first round.
It wasn't a kneebar, but pretty close.

Mike Massenzio def Drew McFedries Submission (Kimura) 1:28 rnd 1
My Pick: I think Drew McFedries breaks his win one loose one streak by winning by KO in the second round.
Drew does not break his streak and is again win one loose one.

Jason Brilz def Brad Morris TKO (Punches) 2:54 rnd 2
My Pick: Brilzy by G&P KO first round.
MAMAz Boyz finally get their first win in the UFC!!!!!!!! Brilz is destined for greatness and he sure showed it tonight!


Joe Lauzon def Kyle Bradley TKO (Punches) 1:34 rnd 2
My Pick: Lauzon wins this one by some kind of a leg lock, most likely a heel hook second round.
No heel hook, but we will take a KO in the second!


Wilson Gouveia def Ryan Jensen Submission (Armbar) 2:04 rnd 2
My Pick: Jensen by KO second round
Ryan just can't catch a break against Brazilian BJJ Black Belts...

Alessio Sakara def Joe Vedepo KO (Head kick and punch) 1:27 rnd 1
My Pick: Sakara by KO first round
What did I just say??

Eric Schafer def Houston Alexander Submission (Arm-triangle choke) 4:53 rnd 1
My Pick: Eric by armbar first round.
Eric was setting up the armbar from the mount, but Houston was not biting. Easy arm triangle choke, or super seeker for you catch wrestlers out there. This should send Houston packing from the UFC, and should put Schafer back in the mix. Shafer v Brilz? Sounds interesting to me.


Alan Belcher def Ed Herman Decision (Split)
My Pick: Herman by RNC third round.
Alan did just enough, barely, to win the fight. I have never seen a guy fight more not to loose than Belcher did. I know he was just listening to his corner when he did not throw kicks, but THAT is is greatest weapon! Sure, you run the risk of getting taken down when you kick. I relearn that every time I kick against Brilz, but I also relearn that if you throw the kick off of a punch combo it often lands and you do NOT get taken down. Belcher was pot shooting. He earns the win, but I didn't like it.

Clay Guida def Mac Danzig Decision
My Pick: Mac by G&P KO second round
Clay's pace was much too much for Danzig. Danzig was simply out physicaled. Clay has trouble putting anybody away, so a decision is the best he can hope for.

Nathan Diaz def Josh Neer Decision (Split)
My Pick: Diaz by RNC late second round.
Josh showed a great ground game in this exciting chess match. It seemed that both fighters were well matched up. I though that Josh should have stuck with his stated game plan of trying to bang with Nate. Josh's stand up seemed to be more powerful, and that, I think, would have been the decider in this match.


I think that this show really emphasized a growing problem in MMA that of fighters not willing to fight to win. Alan Belcher is a good example of this. He threw one or two punch combos keeping Herman away, but that was IT. In the last round, when Ed could barley stand he was so tired, Belcher should have thrown the leg and body kicks in bunches to try and end the fight. Instead he just stood in front of Ed. Makes for boring fights, and silly split decisions.

I go 6 for 10.

LET THEM DIE!!!

For the love of Pete!!! Let AIG die!!! Why the hell is the government bailing them out?????????

LET THEM DIE. I have read the Constitution and the Amendments back to front, and NOWHERE does is say "The right of the State to Bail out large companies who make bad investments shall not be infringed."

THIS is what will kill this country. Not only do we not have the money for this bail out it is not even in the nature of our government to do so.

Let them go.

Fighers Make Weight for UFN Omaha

Nathan Diaz (155) vs. Josh Neer (155)
Mac Danzig (155) vs. Clay Guida (155)
Ed Herman (185) vs. Alan Belcher (185)
Houston Alexander (205) vs. Eric Schafer (205)
Wilson Gouveia (185) vs. Ryan Jensen (185)
Joe Lauzon (155) vs. Kyle Bradley (155)
Dan Miller (185) vs. Rob Kimmons (185)
Drew McFedries (185) vs. Mike Massenzio (185)
Jason Brilz (205) vs. Brad Morris (205)
Alessio Sakara (185) vs. Joe Vedepo (185)

UFC Fight Night OMAHA!!

The UFC brings its show to Omaha Nebraska for the first time. It also has the strangest headliner in a very long time...

Dan Miller Vs. Rob Kimmons (Middleweight)
Miller is an IFL vet with a lot of submissions to his name. This is his first fight in the UFC.
Kimmons is the first of many VFC vets on this UFC show. He once fought for, and lost, a VFC title fight to Ryan Jensen, who is also on this card. Kimmons has a good right hand, and is a tough guy, but his ground and cardio is suspect. Rob does have the advantage of fighting, and winning in the UFC.
I think that Rob will have his hands full with Dan Miller. Miller seems to have the better ground game, and I suspect that he will be in better shape than Rob. Miller by kneebar first round.


Drew McFedries Vs. Mike Massenzio (Middleweight)
Drew is back after beating Mavin Eastman at the last TUF final. Drew has been on again off again in the UFC, and has not yet been able to find a rhythm. Each fight he seems to be a different person.
Massenzio is an IFL vet, who lost his last fight via kneebar. Fortunately for Mike, Drew is not really known as a ground guy.
I think that this will be a relatively easy fight for Drew. He should be on the road back after his impressive KO victory over Eastman, but if the Drew who lost to Patrick Cote and Martin Kampmann shows up, things might be different.
I think Drew McFedries breaks his win one loose one streak by winning by KO in the second round.

Jason Brilz Vs. Brad Morris (Light Heavyweight)
Jason Brilz is finally in the UFC!!! Jason turned down a spot on the original TUF season to concentrate on his career. He had just had a baby and just stared a new job. MMA was not paying the bills, and no one could have known how the show would have taken off. But he is there now!! Brilz is an excellent wrestler and has improved his stand up to be very effective. His cardo is good and he easily mauls me.
Morris lost in his UFC debut to Cain Velasquez vai KO. Morris is a Japanese JJ practitioner, and has some wins via KO and submission.
Did you really think you were going to get honest reporting from me on my friend and training partner? Come on. Brilz is Barack Obama and I am NBC. Brilzy by G&P KO first round.

Joe Lauzon Vs. Kyle Bradley (Lightweight)
Lauzon is coming off of a tough loss to Kenny Florian. Joe is a slick ground guy and and overall scrappy fighter.
Kyle lost his debut to Chris Lytle back in February, and has not fought since... typical move by the UFC.
Lauzon wins this one by some kind of a leg lock, most likely a heel hook second round.

Wilson Gouveia Vs. Ryan Jensen (Middleweight)
Wilson was surprised by Goran Reljic's power in his last fight and got caught. Wilson thought that he was too small for the 205 lb weight class, and moved to 185. He was scheduled to fight Omaha native Jeremy Horn, but an injury forced Jeremy to withdrawal.
Wilson is a BJJ black belt, and trains at the best MMA gym in the country, ATT.
Ryan has not had good luck in the UFC loosing the two of his fights against guys who are now tearing up the 185 lb division, Thales Leites and Demian Maia. Ryan has rededicated himself to MMA and is focused on winning this fight. He looked super sharp against me the last time I went toe to toe with him, hitting me with right hands and even knocking me completely off of my feet with a deep monster leg kick.
I think that if Ryan keeps his focus, and keeps this fight on the feet where he seems to have an advantage. I think if Ryan gets on his back he may be in for a long night. BUT Ryan will keep the fight standing up and will catch Wilson with a monster right hand left hook combo that he has so often dropped me with and will get the first win of his UFC career! Jensen by KO second round.

Alessio Sakara Vs. Joe Vedepo (Middleweight)
Sakara felt that 205 was too tough for him, so he dropped a weight class and was promptly knocked out by Chris Lebin at 185. This proves that a hole in your technique is not solved with a move in weight class. Sakara's strength is his sharp boxing, but his weakness is a glass chin.
Vedepo makes his debut in the UFC after fighting... nobody. He seems to be a ground guy with most of his wins coming by submission. He is from Iowa City, and was a stand out in High School wrestling.
This feels like the UFC is doing a favor for Sakara's gym ATT by feeding him a cupcake. I am sure that Joe is tough, but I have a feeling that his game will be transparent. Sakara will stuff Joe's takedowns and will knock him out standing. Sakara by KO first round.

Houston Alexander Vs. Eric Schafer (Light Heavyweight)
Houston hits people very hard. Houston has no ground game, nor is he working on getting one.
Eric is a BJJ stand out with slick submissions and good takedowns.
Eric by armbar first round.

Ed Herman Vs. Alan Belcher (Middleweight)
Ed was back in the swing of things by winning three straight, then ran in to the seemingly unstoppable Demian Maia. Ed was in trouble throughout most of the fight, running away from sub after sub.
Alan Belcher also lost his last UFC attemept getting knocked out by Jason Day back in April.
Belcher is known mainly as a guy with heavy hands. I think that Ed can weather the storm of the initial two rounds and take a submission win in the third. Herman by RNC third round.

Clay Guida Vs. Mac Danzig (Lightweight)
Clay knocked out his cream puff of an opponent at UFN 13 to bounce back from his RNC loss to Roger Huerta. Clay keeps going and going fighting at 100 mph for all three rounds. I have never seen him get tired. After his fights he looks like he could go for another 3 rounds.
Mac was the immovable object in his TUF season steamrolling everybody in his path. He then went on to win one move fight over Mark Bocek as his first non TUF fight.
This will be a very entertaining fight. You have Clay the hyper monkey man vs Mac the composed ass kicker. It will eventually end when Mac finally gets the monkey man down and smashes him. Mac by G&P KO second round.

Nate Diaz Vs. Josh Neer (Lightweight)
Nate is 4-0 in the UFC! Nate has a slick ground game and the Diaz never say die moto.
Josh Neer won his last fight in the UFC by decisioning Din Thomas. His last fight before that in the UFC was a loss to Nate's brother Nick. Josh has a good ground game, highlighted by a slick triangle from the bottom that he seems to get everybody in.
Honestly... I like Josh Neer. I have met and talked with him several times at various events. He is a nice guy. He has no chance. Nate is at a different level fighting different level opponents. This is the biggest miss match in years to headline a UFC event... Nate should be fighting a Hermies Franca or Sean Sherk, not Josh Neer. Nate will beat up Josh standing, definitely opening up one of Josh's many scars. After that Nate will take Josh down and either finish him by G&P or Submission.
Diaz by RNC late second round.

Goldberg and McCain Reveal Constitutional Ignorance

whoopi slavery
Uploaded by dollarsandsense123

Whoopi, John... The Constitution does not say word one about slaves. None. That was intentionally left up to the states. So even if you rolled back the Constitution to the original 10 Amendments, your state would STILL need to ratify slavery. On top of that, the 13th Amendment bans slavery from the United States. So even if you got rid of all of the federal law passed from this time to that the institution of slavery is STILL illegal.
Instead of calling on her idiocy, McCain simply lets it go by saying "That's a good point."

That's a good point??? He would have corrected her if she said that he was an Air Force pilot. He would have corrected her if she said that he was the Senator from New Mexico. He would have corrected her if she said that he was running against Walter Mondale. But let obvious ignorance go??

The Constitution Go a head read it. If you can find where it says that it is OK to have slaves I will buy you a cookie.

Kicking Over the Apple Cart

私はかんげがあります。もちろん私は私のかんげは一番よいいと思います。だから、ときどきひとさまは悪いかんげがあります。いつも、私と人さまべんじります。
私は、かいしゃが好きです。だから、かいしゃもといいになりたいです。でも、多分人さまは私が嫌いです。
なぜみなさんは弱いですか？いつもしごとのひと話では真人はきつ。でも、みなさんはいつもしずかです。
つかります。

Say It Ain't So YouTube...

YouTube has announced that it will no longer allow "videos that incite violence, in addition to videos that contain hate speech and gratuitous violence." This was voiced by Joe Lieberman as a "win" for America. He said that YouTube was a place where Islamic Terrorists were inciting attacks around the world.

Sad. Why do we need the First Amendment? To guarantee the rights of Islamic Terrorists, Nazis, and other scumbags to say what ever they want, with out fear of government reprisal. If you don't like some one's ignorant ravings, click on the video of the horse kicking the guy in the nuts. That is always good for a laugh.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Ok lets take a look at that... hummm Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech or the press... Hummmm... Well I guess it depends on the definition of "no.".. Nah that won't fly, too Clintonesque.

The fact is, Google should have told Joe to pound sand. He had no legal leg to stand on, nor would the charge fly in the Supreme Court. Even under the abomination called the "Patriot Act."

Freedom dies when good men say nothing in the face of evil. Shame on Google.

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Guy getting kicked in the nuts by a horse

90 Freaking Teslas???

Scientists are building the world's strongest magnet. It is estimated to be 90 Tesla strong. 90 freaking Teslas!!!!
The MRI machine uses a very powerful magnet. So strong in fact that all metal must be removed. So strong that if the patient has a colloquial implant, the MRI machine could pull it out of place and kill the patient. MRI magnets are rated at 0.5 to 1.5 teslas.

The magnet will be used in High Energy Physics experiments.

Hot freaking socks... Magneto would be proud.



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Last Day For Humanity

Tomorrow they turn on the CERN colider and we will all be vaporized... Perhaps some remnant will remain. Perhaps this blog will remain...

Perhaps some alien researching will know that on this planet, in a very special place, free men fought to be free. Perhaps...

My New Motorcycle

UFC 88 Fighters Make Weight

Roan Carneiro (170) vs. Ryo Chonan (170)
Jason Lambert (185) vs. Jason MacDonald (185)
Dong Hyun Kim (170) vs. Matt Brown (170)
Tim Boetsch (205) vs. Michael Patt (205)
Thiago Tavares (155) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (176)
Martin Kampmann (184.5) vs. Nathan Marquardt (185)
Dan Henderson (185) vs. Rousimar Palhares (184.5)
Rich Franklin (204.5) vs. Matt Hamill (205)
Chuck Liddell (204) vs. Rashad Evans (205)